Hydraulic blast gun



United States Patent [1 13,540,659

[72] Inventors Roberto-M llins n 955,294 4/1910 Stone 239/510 Clark Mullins, Dlllas, Texas 1,393,812 10/1921 .Mousseaux... 42/71 [211 App]. No. 713,842 1,510,175 9/1924 Kinnear 239/510X [22] Filed March 18, 1968 2,823,076 2/1958 Nurkiewicz 239/507X Pammed 1970 577,131 2/1897 Goffet al 239/513X [73] Assignee g. M irllins, IIIIL, FOREIGN PATENTS a as, exas acorponuon Texas 87,591 2/1958 Netherlands 239/507 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-John .1. Love 1 HYDRAULIC BLAST GUN Attorney-Howard E. Moore 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs, 52] us. CI. 239/508, 239/507, 239/516 [51] Int. Cl. B0511 1/26 [50] Field ofSearch 239/511,

507, 508, 513, 517 ABSTRACT: A gun for dispensing high-pressure fluid having I a protective shroud which may be pivoted in front of the high I [56] ws Cited pressure stream to nullify the dangerous effects of the high- UNITED STATES PATENT pressure fluid stream by reducing it to a harmless spray when 855,444 6/1907 Carlson 239/511 1 the gun is not in use or is dropped.

HYDRAULIC BLAST GUN BACKGROUND OF THE- INVENTION High-pressure liquid such as water is often used in cleaning and degreasing operations. Since extremely high-pressure liquid, accelerated through a nozzle, is used, one of the problems encountered in this area concerns the dangerous situation which occurs if the gun is-dropped or misdirected while the pumps are running. Water ejected at extremely high velocity'can easily cut through shoe leather and severely injure a person and property.

Heretofore plug valves and other devices to stop the flow of water to the gun have been used. These devices are relatively expensive and'are subject to malfunction due to high pressure that is involved. Sudden stoppage of water flow in a conduit caused by the closing of valves can, if the rate of closure is rapid enough, cause a concussion of moving water against the sides of the conduit from a steep front pressure wave. If the rate of deceleration is large, the force exerted upon the conduits will be large. To cushion the parts of the water conduit against the destructive effect of these water hammer forces, relief valves, bursting plates and surge tanks have beenused.

The function ofa hydraulic cleaning device is simply to convert the potential energy of a high-pressure fluid into work for cleaning. Experience teaches that the spouting velocity is very high and that the friction exerted by a high-pressure water stream is a very effective abrasive for cleaning because undesirable material is eroded away.

However, the systems heretofore utilized for harnessing this work have been unnecessarily complicated to compensate for the water hammer forces exerted upon the system when the flow of water is stopped.

Most very high-pressure water streams could not be stopped instantaneously and therefore were unsafe because of the inherent danger of injury and damage to persons and property in the vicinity of their use.

BRIEF SUMMARY or INVENTION The present invention utilizes a shroud which is automatically and almost instantaneously pivoted into the high-pressure water stream when the gun is released thereby nullifying dangerous effects of the spouting velocity of the hydraulic stream by reducing it to a harmless spray.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a gun for hydraulic cleaning which will automatically disperse the hydraulic jet when the gun is dropped.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gun for hydraulic cleaning in which the hydraulic jet may be reduced to a harmless s'par spray instantaneously.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a gun for water-blasting operations which does not require an elaborate system to compensate for the effects of water hammer action when the spout velocity is reduced.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a gun for water-blasting operations having a configuration which will minimize fatigue of the operator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun for water-blasting operations which is of simple construction making the possibility of malfunction virtually nonexistent.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a gun for water-blasting operations which can be easily and economically incorporated into conventional water-blasting systems. i

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gun for water-blasting operations which does not require closing of valves or stopping'pumps to render the water stream ineffective and harmless.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed specification hereinafter following and by referring to the drawings annexed hereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the present invention are provided so that the invention may be better and more fully understood, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the gun with one side of the shroud broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. II is a side elevational view of the gun with the shroud shown in dashed outlines in the position which it occupies when lowered to break up the hydraulic stream;

FIG. III is an end elevation of the water gun;

FIG. IV is a cross-sectional view taken from along line lines IV-IV of FIG. II.

Numeral references are employed to indicate the various parts as shown in th the drawing and like numerals indicate like parts throughout the various FIGS. of the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing,- the numeral 1 generally designates a gun for directing water, air or other fluid at high velocity against a surface to be cleaned. Gun 1 consists of a tubular body 2 having a coupling v4 positioned at one end thereof for connection of the gun body to a flexible tube 6 connected to a source of high-pressure liquid or air (not shown).

The other end of the tubular body 2 has a threaded portion 8 which threadably engages a nozzle generally designated by the numeral 10. The nozzle 10 has a body 11 with a threaded bore 9 for receiving the threaded end 8 of the tubular body 2 of the gun. The opposite end of the nozzle body 11 has a threaded bore for threadably receiving a reducer'I2. Reducer 12 has a female bore therein to threadably receive the nozzle tip 14 having a converging section 16 to a throat orifice 18.

High-pressure fluid is delivered to the gun through flexible tube 6 by a pump (not shown) and flows through tubular body 2 and is accelerated through nozzle 10. It should be readily apparent that the spout stream 20 attains a very high velocity at emergence from the nozzle.

A shroud 22 is mounted adjacent the nozzle 10 and is defined by sidewalls 24 connected by a top 26 and a bottom 28 with an end wall 30 and a deflector 32 disposed at opposite I ends thereof. As best seen in FIGS. II and III of the drawing the deflector 32 covers only a portion of the end of the shroud disposed adjacent the tip 14 of the nozzle 10 and has a lip or vane 34 extending inwardly from the lower edge thereof. As shown in FIGS. II and III of the drawing the shroud is in inoperative position which provides an opening 321: between vane 34 and the bottom 28 of the shroud through which a spout stream 20'emerges. When the shroud is in downward position the stream 20 will strike lip 34 and the force of the stream will hold the shroud in the downward position.

End wall 30 has an elongated opening 36 centrally located therein for receiving the tubular body 2.

Pivot lugs 38 are positioned adjacent the sides 24 on end section 30 of the shroud 22. The pivot lugs 38 have holes therein which are axially aligned with holes in pivot lugs 40 on tubular body 2 for receiving a pin 42, providing a hinge point about which the shroud 22 may pivot.

A fulcrum bar 44 is welded or otherwise securely mounted to the end wall 30 of the shroud 22 and has a configuration for holding the shroud 22 in a raised position allowing the spout stream 20 to pass through opening 32a when the fulcrum bar 44 is held in contact with tubular body 2 of the gun. A clip ring 46 is clamped about the tubular body 2 of the gun by a bolt 47 and serves as an anchorage for one end of the spring 48 which urges the shroud 22 downward to the position shown in dashed outline in FIG. II of the drawing.

A deflector washer 50 is welded or otherwise securely attached to the tubular body 2 immediately adjacent the elongated opening3 6 in the end wall 30 of the shroud 22. The deflector 50 prevents spray from passing through the elongated opening 36 into the face of the operator.

A shoulder rest 60 is welded otherwise rigidly connected to the tubular body 2 of the gun 1 between the nozzle 10 and the which are identified by numerals 33 and 34 respectively (FIGS; 1 and 2). These guide plate members areattached to their respective side wall skirts by means of bolts 35 and serve as a means for aligning the buckets 13 for centralized movement through the channel formed by the side wall skirts 26 be loaded into the funneled opening of the bucket elevator hopper 14. As the endless belt moves in the direction indicated, the buckets 13 carried thereby make contact with the arcuated portion of the flapper member 28. If fine material is loaded into the hopper, such as sand, the flapper member is effective in restraining the material within a given area for pickup by the buckets and prevents said material from dropping past said buckets onto the ground or floor to accumulate at the base of the conveyor.

lf coarse materials are loaded into the hopper, such as stones, the flapper member also prevents this material from dropping past the buckets, and the flexible resilient material from which the side wall skirts are fabricated prevent any possibility of the coarse material wedging or becoming jammed between said skirts and the adjacent sides of the buckets 13.

We claim:

r l. A loading hopper for a conveyor of the bucket elevator type having a supporting frame, pulley members'rotatably mounted at each end of said frame'with driving means for rotating at least one of said pulleys, an endless belt disposed about and movable by said-pulleys and including a plurality of bucket members fixed to and equally spaced about said belt, said loading hopper comprising:

a. spaced leg members fixedly attached to one end of said supporting frame; 1 b. ang'ularly and oppositely disposed support brackets fixed to each ofsaid leg members; c. hopper plate members carried by said support brackets in spaced relation above said belt; a d. a web interconnecting said hopper plate members intermediate their ends forming a receptacle for receiving materials to be conveyed by said buckets;

e. side wall skirts depending from each of said hopper plate elements into close proximity with said belt defining a channel through which said buckets are adapted to travel;

and

f. guide means forming one end of each said sidewall skirts for aligning said buckets for movement there between.

2. The loading hopper according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said leg members is longitudinally adjustable for positioning the conveyor and providing clearance for the buckets as they pass about the lower end of said supporting frame.

3. The loading hopper according to claim 1 wherein said web is provided with a means adapted to cooperate with said buckets as they move through the channel to prevent conveying material in the receptacle from dropping past said buckets.

4. The loading hopper according to claim 3 wherein said means comprises a flapper member of deformable sheet material extending in arcuated configuration into said channel and having one side fixed to said 'web and the opposite to a support bar that interconnects said hopper plate members.

5. The loading hopper according to claim 1 wherein said hopper plate members are flared outwardly from the depending skirts attached thereto for funneling the material to be conveyed in the direction of said belt and bucket members.

6. The loading hopper according to claim 1 wherein said side wall skirts are formed from resilient sheet material with said hopper plate member including cooperating means for continually urging said wall skirts to a position normal to the plane of movement of said belt through said channel.

7. The loading hopper according to claim 6 wherein said cooperating means comprises leaf spring members disposed in spaced relation along the length of said hopper plate members with the greater portion of their length being in abutting relation with the outer surfaces of said side wallskirts.

8. The loading hopper according to claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises outwardly flared guide plate members forming a funneled entrance forsaid buckets into said channel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pat nt N 3 Dated November 17 1970 Inventor) Robert O Mullins et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The specification of the patent commencing at the top of c 3 and extending through the claims should read as follows coupling 4 to provide ease of handling for the operator butt plate 62 on the shoulder rest 60 is held against the shc in much the same manner as a rifle allowing the operator to a the gun to the desired location while in use From the foregoing description it should be readily appare that the fulcrum bar 44 may be held in contact with the tubul body 2 of the gun allowing the spout stream 20 to be directed the surface to be cleaned When it is desirable to cease the cleaning operation momentarily, the operator may release the fulcrum bar 44 causing the spring 48 to pivot the shroud 22 downwardly causing the spout stream 20 to strike the deflectc The water will flow in a convection stream through the shroud out opening 32a thereby reducing the high velocity stream to harmless spray. Likewise if the gun is accidentally dropped the operator the spring 48 will pivot the shroud 22 into the of stream 20 thereby preventing injury to the operator or at persons in the vicinity because the stream 20 will be instant neously deflected and dispersed While the specific details of the invention have been here shown and described changes and alterations may be resorted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims We claim;

1 In a gun for pressure fluid blasting, a tubular body; It for connecting the body to a source of high pressure fluid a nozzle connected to the body for producing a high velocity spc steam to emerge from the nozzle; a shroud attached to the bod having a passage extending therethrough; a deflector arranged partially close said passage through the shroud said deflect I FORM PO-105O (ID-69) 3,540,659 Page 2 being mounted relative to the body adjacent the nozzle and arranged to be moved to a position in front of the nozzle such that the deflector will be disposed substantially perpendicular to the spout stream to disperse the spout stream emerging from said nozzle; and resilient means between the shroud and the body tending to pivot the deflector into the path of the stream.

2. The combination called for in claim 1 with the addition of a fulcrum bar secured to the deflector for moving the deflector out of the path of a spout stream emerging from the nozzle.

3. The combination called for in claim 2 wherein the fulcrum bar conforms to the contour of the body and rests thereagainst when the deflector is positioned out of the path of the spout stream.

s. The combination called for in claim 1 with the addition of a shoulder rest connected to the tubular body adjacent the outer end thereof to facilitate handling and aiming the gun.

5. In a gun for pressure fluid blasting, a tubular body; a coupl: at one end of the tubular body for connecting the body to a source of high pressure fluid; a nozzle connected to the other end of the body for producing a high velocity spout stream to emerge from the nozzle. and a shroud pivotally mounted on the body adjacent the nozzle arrang to be pivoted downwardly in front of the nozzle to disperse a spout stream emerging from the nozzle, said shroud comprising a tubular member. a closure at one end of the tubular member having an elongate passage therethrough through which the body passes, and a deflector partially closing the other end of the tubular member.

6. In a gun for pressure fluid blasting, a tubular body; a coupl: at one end of the tubular body for connecting the body to a source 01 highpressure fluid; a nozzle connected to the other end of the body 1 producing a high velocity spout stream to emerge from the nozzle; a shroud pivotally mounted on the body adjacent the nozzle; a deflecto1 on the shroud arranged to be pivoted downwardly in front of the nozzl to disperse a spout stream emerging from the nozzle; and an inwardly turned lip on the shroud arranged to intersect the stream to cause the deflector to be held in the stream.

7. In a gun for pressure fluid blasting, a tubular body; a coupl: at one end of the tubular body for connecting the body to a source 0: high pressure fluid; a nozzle connected to the other end of the body for producing a high velocity spout stream to emerge from the nozzle a shroud pivotally mounted on the body adjacent the nozzle arranged 1 be pivoted downwardly in front of the nozzle to disperse a spout stream emerging from the nozzle; and a rear wall on the shroud with e longated passage therethrough the body extending through the passa 8. The combination called for in claim 5 with the addition of me; between the shroud and the body for urging the shroud toward the spo stream.

9. The combination called for in claim 5 with the addition of a extending inwardly from the lower edge of the deflector arranged to intercept the stream to cause the deflector to be held in the stream 3 ,5 +0 ,659 Page 3 l0 The combination called for in claim 7 with the addit 1" of a deflector member secured about the body arranged to engag the rear wall to deflect fluid passing through the passage 11 The combination called for in claim 7 with. the addit ii of a shoulder rest connected to the tubular member adjacent t1 outer end thereof to facilitate handling and aiming the gun Signed and sealed this 10th day of October 1972 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Pate] 

